Watford Borough Council turns down development proposing to axe vital NHS facility

Watford Borough Council turns down development proposing to axe vital NHS facility

Development proposing to axe NHS facility has been turned down

Published: Thursday, 26th July 2018

A housing proposal to demolish an NHS facility for the homeless and develop 25 flats in its place was last night (Wednesday 25 July) rejected by Watford Borough Council’s Development Management Committee.

Meadowell Centre - which has been supporting rough sleepers for the last 15 years - sits in an area of designated open space on Cassio Road in West Watford, next to West Herts Sports Club.

Chair of Development Management Committee Cllr Peter Jeffree said: “Meadowell is an established and much-needed NHS service, providing expert specialist support to people with complex needs. To bulldoze such an important community facility which helps some of the most vulnerable people in society, without providing suitable alternative accommodation, would be completely unacceptable.

“Ultimately, the proposed scheme failed to offer enough benefit to the community to compensate for the loss of the Meadowell Centre and the permanent loss of designated open space which would result from a residential development on the site. The Committee did the right thing in stopping this development from going ahead.”

The application proposed a part five storey and part four storey building providing 25 flats, with no on-site parking included.